Tag Archives: Cleaning

Robot Models

iRobot Announces 700 Series Roomba Pre-Sale

iRobot Roomba 700 Series Pre-Sale Announcement

Later Note: As of May, 2011 the iRobot Roomba 700 Series robots are now available for sale. Check out my review of the 780, here. Or see the links below for the product pages on iRobot’s site.

iRobot sent out emails announcing the availability of the 700 Series Roomba robot vacuum cleaners. The robots are available for pre-order only from iRobot’s site, and have an official launch date of May 11, 2011.

As we mentioned in a past post, the 700 series Roombas have some new advanced features. Here are some areas of improvement with the 700 series:

  • Cleaning head can pick up finer particles
  • AreoVac Series 2 – better suction
  • All come with HEPA filters
  • New improved Dirt Detect feature (770 and 780 only)
  • New Persistant Pass Cleaning Pattern
  • Better battery life (iRobot claims 50% longer life)
  • Bin indicator light (770 and 780 only)
  • Touchpad control (for the 780 only)

All come with on-board scheduling, a “molded soft touch bumper”, and a recessed carrying handle. My Mint robot has a built-in carrying handle, and it’s one of my favorite features to it. I’m betting that the soft touch bumper will be popular – a classic complaint about the Roombas is that they leave scuff marks on furniture and baseboards. It might be my imagination, but I think the new Roombas look a lot nicer. By the way, the new AeroVac vacuum module is compatible with the 500 series Roombas, so you can upgrade your Roomba. That’s pretty cool. AeroVac modules can be ordered here.

iRobot Roomba 780 Touchpad Demonstrated

As of this writing, the iRobot Roomba 780 comes with (besides the robot itself) a battery charger, home base, two lighthouses, an extra filter, extra brushes (bristle, flexible, and side), two brush cleaning tools, a remote control, instructional DVD, and 1 year warranty (6 months for the battery.)

Right now, the iRobot Roomba 760 and 770 both come with the same accessories as each other. You get a battery charger, home base, two virtual walls, an extra filter, two brush cleaning tools, a remote control, instructional DVD, and the same warranty. So really, you would be ordering the 770 to get the added features. So what you get for your 50 clams is: Dirt Detect Series 2 (the 760 comes with Dirt Detect Series 1), and the full bin indicator light,

Get the iRobot Roomba 780 Vacuum Cleaning Robot at Amazon

Cleaner Robots

iRobot Announces the Roomba 700 Series

After a large amount of time without any updates to its product lines, iRobot has announced new models in both the Roomba line, the 700 Series. Members of this series are the Roomba 760, Roomba 770 and Roomba 780.

iRobot Roomba 780

Specifically, iRobot has made improvements to the cleaning head, which can now pick up fine particles 20% better. iRobot has also introduced a new bin technology they call AeroVac Series 2. This technology makes for better suction, to pull more dirt and hair out of carpeting. The 700 Series comes with HEPA air filters to keep from throwing fine dust particles around when it vacuums, trapping them instead. The Roomba 770 and 780 will also come with a new iteration of Dirt Detect. This uses an acoustic sensor to find areas of your floor that may be more dirty than others, and take special actions to get these areas especially clean. Fear not, the Roomba 760 will come with the old Dirt Detect technology (now dubbed Sirt Detect Series 1).

Other additions include a “Persistent Pass Cleaning Pattern” where the Roomba will use a back and forth motion to help clean dirty areas. Also the new Roombas should get a 50% battery life boost, thanks to new power management software.

The Roomba 770 and 780 will also have an indicator light for when the bin is full. Finally, the Roomba 780 will come with a touchpad interface. That sounds cool. I can’t wait to see these new Roombas.

Cleaner Robots

iRobot Announces the Scooba 230

Tiny iRobot Scooba 230

The new Scooba 230 has been shrunk and is now only 6.5 inches wide. It is still 3.5 inches high. This change in dimensions is obviously so that it can navigate the tighter areas in bathrooms. Most specifically behind sink pedestals and toilets. It looks like the Scooba 230 will retain all of its other abilities, but the area it can cover before a refresh has also shrunk to 150 square feet. So yeah, it’s probably going to be more of a bathroom appliance (although that is enough to get my kitchen as well). The Scooba 230 has the same three-stage cleaning system as its older, larger bretheren. It washes, scrubs, squeegees, and vacuums your floor.

These new robots will be available in Spring of 2011.

iRobot Scooba 230